About which we have long heard thanks to television and the Internet, good shops, cozy cafes and restaurants. In this regard, the issue of moving around the English capital is quite relevant. One of the most comfortable and fastest Vehicle is a taxi in London, which we will talk about next.
London taxi - history of appearance
The English capital is considered one of the first places where cabs appeared, carrying passengers for a fee. By the way, the prototype of the first London taxi was horse-drawn carts.
How to order a taxi in London?
Use the services taxi in London simple enough. To do this, you just need to pick up your mobile or landline phone and dial the taxi service number, for example:
— 0-871-871-87-10
— 020-89-01-44-44
— 020-79-08-02-07.
You can also use the official resources of companies on the Internet or optimized sites that specialize in providing intermediary services for ordering a taxi, and fill out a special form. Another way to call a car is to visit the office of one of the specialized companies that are located on the main streets of the English capital.
If desired, among the special requirements in the order form (or to the operator), you can specify a Russian-speaking driver or select one of the offered car models.
In order not to waste time searching for rooms and websites, if you are at a hotel, you can contact the administrator with a request to call a taxi.
How to recognize a legal taxi in London?
1) In a visible place in the cabin (usually on dashboard) a license issued by a special police department must be posted.
2) Every driver must know the city perfectly, since all employees of legal companies pass a special exam on their knowledge of London streets.
3) Most taxi drivers work exclusively on call and do not pick up passengers on the road, since this requires additional permission.
4) Traditional cars taxis are black cabs or minicabs with a spacious interior.
5) A real taxi driver will never have a strong smell of tobacco, and everything in the interior of his car will be clean and in good order (no squeaking brakes, broken windows, etc.)
Taxi in London: cost
London taxi is one of the most expensive in the world. High prices are caused by impeccable quality services, good cars and excellent driving staff. Payment for travel is individual and is determined by several important criteria:
— cost of boarding (or calling a car)
- based on the mileage covered
- tips for the driver.
At the same time, in order to avoid overestimation of prices by individual taxis in London, the price of the maximum fee per kilometer and landing is set at the local level.
Inflating the stipulated prices is possible only on weekends and holidays and also exclusively within the limits of the stipulated rates.
It is worth noting that due to the fairly strict regulation of taxi fares, bargaining with the driver about payment in England is considered bad manners and is perceived extremely negatively, regardless of the gender of the passenger.
So, approximately the following tariffs for taxi driver services are established:
1) Landing – 1.5 pounds sterling
2) 20 pence for every 256 meters (in case of waiting, this amount is charged in 55.5 seconds).
3) After traveling 8.8 feet, the fee increases: 20 pence is charged for 37 seconds of waiting and for every 170 meters.
4) On weekends and public holidays the tariff increases to 60 pence, and on Christmas and New Year– up to 2 lbs.
In addition to the approved prices in London, there is a custom of leaving taxi drivers a tip of 15-20% of the fare.
Also, special, more expensive services of English taxi drivers include organizing a transfer from the airport with meeting the passenger from the flight.
Benefits of using a taxi in London
It should be noted that, despite the high prices for travel, taxis in London are quite common transport, since they provide:
— comfort and safety of the trip (achieved through the use of only serviceable cars and a responsible approach to the selection of drivers)
— timely delivery of the car and delivery of the passenger to the destination (this is achieved thanks to the punctuality of drivers and the presence of a separate lane for travel, which avoids downtime in traffic jams).
— fixed fares for travel, excluding surcharges for luggage weight
— no bad habit of picking up passengers along the way
- pleasant and erudite drivers who can not only deliver you to your destination on time, but will also become a pleasant conversationalist.
It is important to know! There are no special rates for taxi services in London at night, so finding a car to return to your hotel can be quite a challenge. Moreover, during late trips, local drivers can be selective when choosing passengers and often refuse to transport heavily drunk people.
British taxis, traditionally called black cabs, are known throughout the world thanks to unusual appearance and phenomenal reliability. Moreover, nowhere except Britain are cars produced that are used exclusively as taxis.
Unfortunately, I was not able to take a ride in the legendary taxi, but nothing stopped me from watching them in their natural environment)
01. In 1958, the famous Austin FX4 was born, which can still be found on the streets of London today. It was this car that over time became the personification of the English taxi for the whole world. 
02. The legendary car rolled off the assembly line for 39 years various modifications. Manufacturers of the FX4 are the joint venture Austin, Mann and Overton. 
03. Carbodies bought the production of the FX4 in 1982 and assembled this model under the LTI (London Taxis International) brand until 1997. The updated modification of the FX4 bore the name Fairway. Engines and transmissions for it were branded Nissan. More than 75,000 FX-4s were produced, and these cabs now make up about 80% of all cabs in the UK. 
04. The high ceiling of English cabs is not an accident, but an old tradition: it is not proper for a gentleman to take off his hat when getting into a car. 
05. In 1997, LTI began production new series cabs - TX. Last car this series, TX IV, complies with Euro 4 environmental standards, equipped modern systems safety, equipped with a child seat, a device for boarding and disembarking the disabled and costs no less than £25,000 ($40,000). 
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09. English taxis are unusual cars in all respects. The service life provided by the manufacturer is 10–12 years, mileage is 800,000 km, and this is with severe continuous use. In reality, English cabs travel a million kilometers, many have been in service for more than 25 years. 
10. License for private transportation In London, the police have been issuing tickets for four centuries, the term is three years. A number badge is attached to the license, and the car receives a special plate with the license number and an indication of the number of passengers that it has the right to transport at a time. 
11. The license also gives the right to pick up clients on the street. Not all taxi companies have this opportunity - it is cheaper to get the right to organize a taxi order by phone. Such a cab will never stop if you vote on the road, because this is fraught with a large fine and loss of your license. 
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13. To obtain the right to carry a car, it is not enough to pay a lot of money; you also have to pass a difficult test of knowledge of London and its surroundings. Most London cab drivers know the city so well that they don’t even think about using the services of a GPS navigator - only 2-3% are equipped with it. London taxis. 
14. Until the 80s of the last century, all English taxis were black. This tradition was born in connection with the desire of manufacturers to save money on automobile enamel. 
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16. Today this tradition is a thing of the past. London taxis are not only painted in different colors, but also without hesitation carry bright advertising on the sides. 
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20. And English taxis are called the most expensive in the world.
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Many thanks to the wonderful sponsor of this trip, the tour operator
Almost everyone knows what Geely produces Emgrand model, quite successfully sold in our market. Many people know that Geely bought Volvo's passenger car division in 2010. But almost no one knows that, in addition to all this, Geely bought The London Taxi Company, which produces the famous London cabs, back in 2012. What is the result? To answer this question more fully, you need to look at what the predecessors were like.
And there were plenty of them. The history of London taxis is vast and varied. What is especially interesting is that the London cab is no longer a cab, since cab is short for “convertible”, and for some time in the past it was not London, because most of the cars were produced by a French company... But first things first.
How the British drove the French out of London
Of course, it all started with horse-drawn carriages, which gave the cab its name. Light two-wheeled carriages, which supplanted their large counterparts, had a convertible top and were called cabriolet, or cab for short.
The name stuck, and has since been used to name taxis in general, despite the fact that in the 19th century, electricity replaced horses (yes, remember, we talked about this in the article about electric cars?), and then and internal combustion engine. Retractable roof, of course, became a thing of the past, and was replaced by a four-door body and a layout generally similar to what we see to this day. And just during this period of formation of the British taxi fleet, the main role in it was played by cars from the French manufacturer - Unic. It was the very beginning of the 20th century.
Pictured: Unic 12/14 HP Taxicab 1908
The patriotic British did not want to put up with this state of affairs, and were actively developing their own “taxi engines”. After several years of hard work and a significant increase in import duties, they managed to drive French cabs off the streets, replacing them with their own, developed by that time by William Beardmore and Company.
A little later they are joined by Austin, which has also been producing taxis since 1929. By the way, Unic, which was so successful, is gradually losing ground not only in England, but also at home, and by 1938 it was curtailing production altogether passenger cars. The further history of the brand is quite long, and it ends with the name Iveco. And the French to this day continue to compete a little with the British on their territory, for example, with the small minibus-taxi Peugeot E7.
The same classic Austin FX4 cab and its predecessors
So, the market has been won, we can develop. The main role in the subsequent history of London cabs is played by three companies: Mann & Overton, Austin and Carbodies, and their work was very close and coordinated. Austin, as the most experienced car manufacturer of them all, created the chassis on which all models were based. These chassis were ordered from him at Mann & Overton, a company that was the largest dealer of cabs. They were engaged not only in selling them, but also in designing, designing and organizing production. And the assembly was organized precisely at the facilities of Carbodies, which, as the name implies, was engaged in the creation of bodies, as well as the final finishing of cars. A good symbiosis that worked like clockwork, since everyone knew their job. For Austin, this was a great addition to its core passenger car business. For Carbodies - main job, in addition to which they also converted sedans into convertibles and station wagons and produced body parts for such well-known manufacturers as Ariel and Triumph. Well, for Mann & Overton, this too, obviously, was the main business in which the company invested all its efforts.
Pictured: Austin 12
After the production Austin 12 became obsolete, the fruit collaboration this trio becomes the Austin FX3. As we have already found out, it was designed jointly with Mann & Overton and assembled by Carbodies. The FX3 inherited the three-door body style of previous models, where instead of a door next to the driver there was an open luggage area. It is worth noting that some technical features it was simply forbidden to change, since in London since 1906 there had been a set of rules for determining the suitability of a car as a taxi, which was called “Conditions of Compliance”.
The FX3 was produced for 10 years, from 1948 to 1958, and during this time it gained great popularity. Over 12,000 units were produced (including the FL1 variation), most of which were registered for operation in London.
Pictured: Austin FX3
The descendant of the FX3 model was the cab, which remained in production for almost 40 years (which is comparable, for example, to the VAZ " "! Appearing in 1958 as a systematic replacement for its predecessor, a car with the same systematic and logical index FX4 became one of the main symbols of the English taxi. It was produced under different brands and with numerous updates, but with an unchanged index until 1997. It is not surprising that it is so popular, because over the years more than 75 thousand cars have been produced - a solid figure for one model with a highly specialized purpose.
It is worth saying that already during the release of the FX3, gasoline engines were almost completely replaced by diesel engines, and the first FX4s were available with just such engines. Subsequently, a new gasoline unit was also available, which, however, did not gain much popularity. At first, the gearboxes were predominantly mechanical, but later, after updating the power unit, more power, they were mostly supplanted by the “automatic”.
On the picture: Austin FX4
For the first time for a cab, the body became a full-fledged four-door, but only in order to protect both the driver and luggage from bad weather, the platform for which was still located next to driver's seat. Of the definitely positive and progressive innovations, it is worth noting the independent front suspension and dual-circuit hydraulic brakes, which replaced mechanical ones.
Were there any alternatives?
Let's take a moment from studying the history of one family of cabs and look up. After all, Austin taxis were not the only British representatives of the taxi fleet, both in the past and in the future. Without delving into the few alternatives from Citroen and some others, we note another significant figure in this business. It was Metrocab. This model, originally produced by Metro-Cammell-Weymann (MCW), and subsequently changing several owners, became the successor to the Beardmore, which we talked about at the very beginning.
True, from the end of production of the Beardmore Mk 7 to the start of production of the Metrocab, more than a dozen years passed, during which the model was developed and prepared for serial production. And by 1987, having received a “face” from the Ford Granada, it was released. From Ford she also got the engine, of course, a 2.5-liter diesel. And from then on, her proud march through the streets of London began, continuing until 2000, when she was updated to the Metrocab TTT model, receiving Toyota engine(yes, diesel). This generation was produced until 2006, when production gradually died out due to financial difficulties.
But almost 10 years have passed and the name Metrocab has again appeared on the front pages of newspapers and on road lanes movements. Frazer-Nash Research and Ecotive Company, current owner brands, developed new model. The British publication Autocar reports that this is a very promising electric cab, equipped with two engines of 50 kilowatts each, which are powered by batteries charged by a small liter three-cylinder gasoline engine. At the same time, the car can be charged from an outlet, and in this usage scenario it turns into a full-fledged electric vehicle, although with a power reserve that is not as large as with a gasoline “recharge.” And the list of equipment includes not only air conditioning and interior lighting, but also such serious options as air suspension and a panoramic glass roof.
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Pictured: Frazer-Nash Metrocab 2014
And again to Austin
In 1973, Carbodies, or more precisely, BSA, which owned it, was acquired by another company, Manganese Bronze Holdings, due to bankruptcy. Its name is worth remembering, as it will play a big role in the future, becoming the "Rome" in which the roads of all three companies that produced London taxis will converge.
For now, fast forward to 1997, where the FX4 is replaced by the TX1 model. It is not too strikingly different in style from the “long-liver”, rather reminiscent of a deep restyling. And in general, in fact, the study of further model range can be characterized by the phrase “the same cabs, only in profile,” since there are almost no external differences between the “new” TXII that arrived in 2002 and the TX1, and latest version cab, TX4, the production of which began in 2007, differs from the TXII only in the elongated false radiator grille.
The differences are hidden inside: the technical “filling” changes and the interior is refreshed. For example, TX1 inherited from the later FX4 diesel engine made by Nissan, which in the second generation, TXII, was replaced by a turbodiesel from Ford, which had more torque. There were still two transmissions - a four-speed automatic and a five-speed manual2.
Well, in the third generation (released, however, under the index 4, in honor of the “great-grandfather” FX4) and Ford power unit has become a thing of the past, giving way to the “heart” from the Fiat division, VM Motori, which specializes in the production of heavy fuel engines. In London, this engine had no alternatives due to its traditionally small share gasoline units, but other markets still offered one from Mitsubishi. As we can see, the technical content of London cabs was far from being as traditional and monotonous as their design.
Our days
Well, we, having glanced at any model from the above-mentioned trinity and understood what taxis looked like in London (and not only) over the past eighteen years, we can take a closer look at what is happening “behind the scenes”.
And this is what happens there: in 2007, Manganese Bronze Holdings, represented by its division London Taxis International (LTI), enters into a by Geely agreement on co-production taxi cabs in China, and in 2008 the first copy of the TX4 was produced there, but under its own Englon brand.
Can you guess what message the word “englon” conveys? This is literally a reference to the origins - a combination of the words “England” and “London”. Very touching branding. And in 2011, Geely presented its Englon SC7-RV concept at the Shanghai Motor Show, from which Bentley designers later “shamelessly” copied their EXP 9 F. But in general, things are not going as well for Manganeze Bronze itself as we would like. In 2010 the name changes to London Taxi Company (LTC
Pictured: Englon SC7-RV
The ongoing lack of funding means that it is no longer possible to survive without outside help, and in 2013, the Chinese partners lent their strong shoulder to LTC and bought out all its assets, calling the newly formed company Geely UK Ltd and continuing the production of classic cabs in Coventry. Without their support English company could not maintain production legendary cars due to tightening environmental standards, which will most likely require the use of hybrid technologies.
But now LTC has every chance of a second birth: with such financial support, everything can be done. Geely recently announced plans to build a new enterprise for the creation and production of new generation cabs, in which it plans to invest about 250 million pounds sterling. The goal is to establish the production of fundamentally new models with a hybrid power plant, and volumes should be up to 36 thousand cars per year. And this despite the fact that now in Coventry they don’t collect even four thousand a year!
The first cars should be released in 2017. We just have to wait a couple of years and then evaluate the success that the Anglo-Chinese joint production will achieve. And it seems that with such a serious attitude, there cannot be any success here.
Tickets in London can be purchased as single tickets or paid with an Oyster card. It's cheaper with a card. There are Travel cards for 1 day, 3 days, a week. Travel cards can be purchased separately, or you can use Oyster, which can work in Travel card mode. Let's briefly consider the features of payment for travel.
Single tickets
Examples of metro prices if you buy single tickets
- 2 zone 4,6 RUB = 4.30 GBP
- 6 zone 4,6 RUB = 5.40 GBP
Buying one-time tickets is not very profitable, they are more expensive and you need to buy a new ticket every time.
Oyster
Oyster card - plastic card for payment public transport in London. You can pay with Oyster in the metro, buses, trams, some trains and get a discount on river transport. When paying with Oyster, tickets are much cheaper, about 2 times. The card is applied at the entrance and when exiting the metro to a special reader with a badge. If you forgot to attach it when leaving, a fine will be automatically debited. Oyster can operate in single trip mode (Pay As You Go) and in travel card mode (Travel Card). If the pass is on the desired trip is not valid, the trip will be paid for at a one-time rate (Pay As You Go).
Transactions with the card (replenishment, viewing the balance, recording travel cards) are carried out in special machines with an icon; there are machines in the metro or stores. Unused money can be returned. The deposit for the card is £3, the deposit can be returned by returning the card. The London Underground has peak hours from 06:30 to 09:30 and from 16:00 to 19:00 from Monday to Friday. During rush hours, tickets are more expensive (only when paying with Oyster, single tickets are equally expensive).
The Oyster card is valid for railway only within London zones except (Heathrow Express, Gatwick Express, Stansted Express, Heathrow Connect between Heathrow and Hayes&Harlington stations). To all other stations outside London you need to buy a separate ticket on the Internet / machine / ticket office.
All detailed information You can read about Oyster on the official website in English oyster.tfl.gov.uk
Examples of metro prices if you pay with Oyster
- 2 zone 230 RUB = 2.70 GBP during rush hour, off-peak 170 RUB = 2.00 GBP
- 6 zone 4,9 RUB = 4.80 GBP rush hour regular time 4,9 RUB = 2.90 GBP
There is one more point: if we use the Pay As You Go mode, there is a limit for each type of transport. If you spent FOR EXAMPLE on buses today 341 RUB = 4 GBP, then further travel on buses today is free.
Travelcard
Travelcard is a pass for all red buses, trams, metro and trains. Travelcard can be purchased separately ( plastic card) or enable Travel card mode on the Oyster.
London Travelcard prices
- 1 day 639 RUB = 7.50 GBP children 170 RUB = 2.00 GBP
- 3 days 1,917 RUB = 22.50 GBP children 511 RUB = 6.00 GBP
- 7 days 4,056 RUB = 47.60 GBP children 2,028 RUB = 23.80 GBP
Travelcard is NOT valid for:
- Suburban and intercity buses
- Tourist buses;
- On the Stansted Express, Gatwick Express and Heathrow Express trains, and on the Heathrow Connect between Heathrow Airport and Hayes & Harlington stations.
Bus pass cost
This bus and tram pass can also be booked on Oyster. It is suitable for travel on all red buses, including night and express buses
- 7 days 1,517 RUB = 17.80 GBP
- 1 Month 5,828 RUB = 68.40 GBP
Examples of prices for intercity trains
- London-Windsor round trip 1,534 RUR = 18 GBP
- From London to Birmingham 16,9 RUB = 19 GBP
- London - Edinburgh 8,350 - 12,781 RUB = 98 - 150 GBP (4 and a half hours)
- London - Oxford 7,2 USD = 8 GBP
- London - Chester one way 35,6 RUB = 30 GBP
- Compare with
By the way, here is a budget bus company for moving between cities uk.megabus.com
On this site all UK trains thetrainline.com
Taxi
Taxi in the city is expensive, for example
- From Heathrow Airport to the center costs RUB 5,538 = 65. GBP
- Around the city 5 min drive 596 - 682 RUB = 7 - 8 GBP
- For example from Liverpool Street Station London to Victoria Station London 20 min 7 km 1,363 RUB = 16 GBP
- From paddington station to Victoria Station 10 min 5 km 10,2 USD = 10 GBP
A liter of gasoline costs 111 - 119 RUB = 1.3 - 1.4 GBP
Compare prices for the arena in various rental companies and book a car conveniently using a popular international service. Read also my review of useful sites for searching
As it turns out, not everyone knows why London cabs are the best taxis in the world. Well, let me tell you. After all, neither famous yellow taxis New York, nor can compare with their London counterparts - either in maneuverability or in passenger comfort.
So why are they so good, London cabs?..
Most of the city's official taxis are cars of a rather peculiar shape. With their rounded shapes they resemble cars of pre-war times.
The city has certain requirements for cars that can serve as cabs here. These rules are quite specific and have been in existence since 1906. They changed little - the biggest change was the reduction in ground clearance from 10 to 7 inches in 1927. Due to strict regulations, most taxis are cars from the same manufacturer. This company is called the London Taxi Company, it existed under different names since 1899, but in beginning of XXI century was bought piece by piece by the Chinese auto company Geely Auto. This process was completed in 2013, and LTC is now wholly owned by the Chinese.
The latest taxi model produced by the London Taxi Company is called the TX4. They have been produced since 2007. According to the standard, cars can serve as taxis for no more than 15 years, which means that soon the entire fleet will be TX4. Although it seems that TX5 is already being developed.
These machines are beginning to be purchased for other countries of the world. For example, they serve in Bahrain, Baku, Las Vegas, Singapore and Ottawa. Why are they so good?
You can’t tell from them, but first of all, these cabs are incredibly agile. Their turning radius is only eight and a half meters. This is even spelled out in London taxi regulations. The fact is that this is exactly the radius at the entrance of the famous Savoy Hotel. It is believed that any London cab should be able to turn around here.
The interior of these cars is incredibly spacious. There are high ceilings and low floors. There are numerous handles on the doors so that the passenger can hold on while driving, boarding and exiting. On back seat Three adults can sit in a row without any problems.
And if you are traveling together, you can completely relax. Cabs have plenty of legroom as they are specially built for passengers. This sets them apart from most other taxis in the world, which use conventional Cars(like Fords and Toyotas), giving priority to the occupants of the front seats.
On the partition between the driver and the cabin there are two more folding seats, which can comfortably accommodate two more passengers. A total of five people fit into the cabin. (I heard that taxi drivers do not take passengers into the front seat.)
It is unusual to drive with your back to the direction of travel, but there is no discomfort from this.
In London, as in other cities around the world, Uber is gaining popularity. Moreover, unlike New York, driving it around the capital of England is much cheaper than taking a taxi. But with Uber you'll never get one comfortable car, you'll be sitting in the backseat of some recent immigrant. Cabs are like business class when moving around the city.
In general, taxi drivers are a special guild. To become a taxi driver in London you need to pass a special exam on your knowledge of the city's streets. Don't forget that London's streets are confusing, as their network has evolved over centuries! Compared to it, the smooth traffic grid of New York is just a kindergarten. Drivers sometimes spend years preparing for the taxi driver exam, acquiring the so-called The Knowledge, or “knowledge.” As a result, a huge part of London taxi drivers are native residents of the city, or at least “real” Englishmen, because here you cannot drive a taxi a month after arriving in the country.
Londoners call their taxis "black cabs". This nickname dates back to the 19th century, when cabs were carts and drivers were coachmen (remember, these were the kind Sherlock Holmes loved to ride on his business.) Despite the black in the old name, cars can be of any color. Sometimes they put bright advertisements on them.
Today, more than 20,000 of the best taxis in the world ride around London, with the most polite and careful drivers. I highly recommend you catch one of these if you're there. The main thing is not to take a taxi to the airport, it will be prohibitively expensive. And in the center you can drive within 10 - 20 pounds. Many of them take credit cards, but not all, so ask in advance.
